Steven Della Rocca Joins Vestar as Managing Director and General Counsel
NEW YORK, NY - June 7, 2010 - Vestar Capital Partners, a leading U.S. and European private equity firm, announced today Steven Della Rocca will join the firm as managing director and general counsel. Mr. Della Rocca brings 30 years of extensive legal expertise and experience in all aspects of corporate and transactional law to Vestar. Prior to joining Vestar, he held senior management leadership and policy-making roles at Latham & Watkins in New York, including serving on the firm's global Executive Committee and as the chairman of the New York Corporate Department, during which time the New York Corporate Department grew from approximately 25 lawyers to more than 100 lawyers.
In his new capacity, Mr. Della Rocca will focus on all aspects of corporate and transactional law, as well as fund partnership matters. Mr. Della Rocca will join Vestar by mid-summer. Jack Feder, Vestar's most recent general counsel, is retiring after 20 years with the firm and will work with Mr. Della Rocca during a transition period.
Daniel S. O'Connell, founder and chief executive officer of Vestar, remarked, "Steve's experience as a seasoned business lawyer brings Vestar extensive expertise in all aspects of corporate and transactional law. He has been a trusted advisor to boards of directors and senior management teams. Steve will provide us with the same high level of strategic thinking and practical problem-solving counsel. His proven ability to thrive in dynamic and fluid environments while remaining pragmatic and focused will be a tremendous asset to the firm. We are pleased to have him join us at this time as a partner and general counsel."
"Vestar's disciplined investment philosophy, coupled with its strategy of partnering with management to achieve sustainable, long-term growth, has proven to be a winning formula," Mr. Della Rocca remarked. "I am very excited to be part of the team of exceptional people at Vestar who believe good partnership is good business and the best way to build value."
Mr. Della Rocca spent 30 years at Latham & Watkins LLP, beginning his career as an associate in their Los Angeles office in 1980 before moving to the New York office in 1985. In 1988, Mr. Della Rocca became a partner in Latham's New York office. Steve has led large legal teams in an exceptionally wide range of transactional matters including LBOs/MBOs, mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, secondary equity offerings, bank and other institutional financings, equity investments, joint ventures and strategic alliances, general commercial contracts and arrangements for private equity and hedge funds, corporations, investment banks and other entities. He has advised senior management and boards of directors of numerous public and private companies in a variety of industries on a wide range of issues, including general securities law matters, corporate governance, Sarbanes Oxley and similar compliance and risk management matters, and NYSE and NASDAQ matters. Mr. Della Rocca received his J.D. degree from New York University School of Law in 1980 and his Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania in 1977. He is admitted to the New York and California bar associations.
About Vestar Capital Partners
Vestar Capital Partners is a leading international private equity firm specializing in management buyouts and growth capital investments with $7 billion in assets under management. The firm targets companies in the U.S. and Europe with valuations of $250 million to $3 billion and operations in five key industry sectors: consumer/services, diversified industries, healthcare, media/communication, and financial services. Vestar invests and collaborates with incumbent management teams, family owners or corporations in a creative, flexible and entrepreneurial way to build long-term franchise and enterprise value. Since the firm's founding in 1988, the Vestar funds have completed more than 65 investments in companies with a total value of more than $30 billion. Vestar has operations in New York, Boston, Denver, Milan, Munich, and Paris. For more information, please visit www.vestarcapital.com.
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Carol Makovich
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